Layla Collins is happily married to Jay and is a proud mom of two precious boys.

Layla joined the United States Army in 1994 and attended American Military University.  Stationed at Ft. Bragg, Ft. Shafter, Ft. Meade and later deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, she served our country in Counterintelligence. She acted as a liaison between the U.S. Army and government agencies throughout her career. She oversaw the security clearance process, policy implementation, development and intelligence oversight. As part of Army Special Operations, she was part of a small, specialized team that evaluated policy and national security at the federal level, which included the President of the United States.  During this time, she managed an extensive budget, government contracts and procurement. Throughout her career she was also tasked with developing curriculum and teaching those specialized skill sets.  Layla was also honored to be selected to serve in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta where the intense, high paced environment prepared her to rapidly solve complex issues. 

2012 – 2014 presented challenging times for the Collins family. In 2012, Layla and Jay welcomed their first child, where they faced complex medical issues. A few years later in 2014, while serving as a Green Beret, Layla’s husband, Jay, faced a leg amputation as a result of combat injuries.  Due to the difficult circumstances, after a 20 year career, Layla retired to care for her family.

Layla Collins is running to represent the residents of District 1 on the Hillsborough County School Board, which encompasses portions of West Tampa, Odessa, Egypt Lake, Town and Country, Westchase and Citrus Park. Layla has been very active in her children’s education, volunteering at every opportunity, substitute teaching when called upon and advocating for adaptive sports, and supporting the veteran community.  As the parent of a special needs child, Layla has a special place in her heart for our ESE students and families. She’s passionate about education, will tirelessly work to protect our students and families, and advocate for our amazing teachers and staff. She’ll bring integrity, sensible solutions, and accountability while working hard to protect the taxpayer.